Hi guys.

Just thought I would send you all an update for the round 5 of the Downhill National Cup in sunny Nelson! For me it was like going home as I lived in Nelson a few years ago and used to ride the Devils Tail track on Fringe Hill. It’s definitely changed since then (with lots of logging) but the new track was the kind I liked. It was long with lots of flow and a wide open fire break sections put in the middle and steep chutes at the end. Practice day on Friday was good nice and consistent with one off, but overall I was happy with my runs. I had found a couple of fast lines on Friday which I tried a couple of times in preparation for the race day on Saturday.

Race day started early again and the day was shaping up to be a good one. Some cloud cover and spots of rain, meant the temperature wouldn’t be hitting the highs of the North Island rounds. A couple of smooth practice runs with no problems had me feeling good about this race. I was leaving my riding buddy behind in the top section and felt I was getting faster and faster. The track was holding up well but come seeding run I really noticed the difference. Chutes were cutting up rough, berms were blowing out and the dust was into everything. The returning pro riders were making light work of it with Justin Leov coming in on a sub 5.00 minute time with a 4.46! I had timed myself in the high five minute times but nowhere near where these guys. On my seeding run I rode it at about 70%, taking it really easy with a tree hug in the middle of a fast exit section which probably took off about 20-30 seconds. The result was I seeded 3rd and only half a second behind the second place getter.

As my race run started the top section was fast, with me feeling good about how it was going. Just before the firebreak section is a log drop which I had hit so many times before, but for some reason the ground decided to grab my front wheel and throw me over the bars. Although separated from my bike it wasn’t a bad crash I thought, and I was quickly back on the bike again. This is where my race run took a turn for the worse… Trying to catch up time I was putting in pedal strokes where I hadn’t before riding section a lot more loose than I had before. This resulted in me being thrown over a berm into the dust and foliage on the other side and my bike doing a cart wheel down the bank. I knew I had thrown it away and could only watch as the other rider went passed as I got back on the track.

I coasted the last section and crossed the line in 5th meaning I still got a podium which I couldn’t believe! That tells me I was on a winning time if I could have held it together…..I’ve attached a photo of me on the podium thanking Penny Farthing Cycles, Giant Bicycles and Fox Clothing and I will forward through a couple of high res riding shots soon. Never mind, this week its Christchurch and the Living Springs course in Governors Bay. When I went to Nelson I was sitting 2nd and now after the above result in Nelson I’m sitting in 4th place of the points table so I really need to step it up to get in the top 3 for the overall. I’m only 8 points behind the guy in third so here’s hoping for a smooth run! Again a huge thanks for all of your support for the season.

Cheers Vaughan.

An Update from TK Robb 10/2/2011

(Penny Farthings Sponsored Tri Specialist)

Kia Ora!

Can someone please tell me where the days are going?? It's already well into February and yet it feels like the year has barely started. Last weekend I had the first race of the 2010-11 season up in Kinloch, Taupo. This was the fifth event of the Triathlon New Zealand Contact Series events and it doubled as the National Sprint Distance Triathlon Championships. It was also my first race for the 2011 season....finally!

The last 3 months have all been about laying down the foundations for what will be a long and very challenging 2011 year. Coach Tim has been putting me on some pretty big training blocks of late, and I'm really glad that I'm finally getting some races in to see where I'm at. The overall program had virtually no preparation or taper for Kinloch scheduled as these events were to be used as hard training day's. Having a race as a training session allows you to really hurt and put in specific efforts that are hard to replicate in training by yourself. Kinloch turned on a ripper of a day and Triathlon NZ, Tri-Sport Taupo and race director, Wayne Reardon once again put on a superb event.

So though I was hoping to do well in Kinloch, I was also realistic about what the outcome might be, so despite a pretty average swim and cycle leg, I was able to put in a hard run, placing the 4th fastest run split overall, and happy to take away some positives and get an idea about how my training is going and where I'm at. 3rd in my age group was a respectable way to start the year off too.

Over the last few weeks, I've been working with my IronMaori Mentoring athletes and helping them to plan out their season and training programs. I'm totally blown away by their enthusiasm and eagerness to get cracking on a program - they are truly very inspiring people in their own right. Working with them has been brilliant, and I've been so stoked with what they have achieved so far and really looking forward to helping them to reach their goals.

The next few weeks see two more races used again as hard training day's, with the last one being the Takapuna Super Sprint Triathlon in Auckland on Feb 20. I've entered the Elite category for this race so I can race at a super hard level and pitch myself up against the big boys. As much as I really want to taper down for the race so I can be as fresh as possible, I have to remember that National Champs in March is the key race so I have to go into this one pretty fatigued as well. The race will be screened live on TV1 at approx 5pm on Sunday 20 Feb so if you can't be there in person, set a reminder and watch it live!

I'll hopefully be able announce some pretty exciting news in next month's update as well so stay tuned for that - lots of planning going on at the moment.

Thanks again for your continued support. 2011 is going to be a huge year for me and I'm stoked to be able to share it with you. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Cheers,
Te Kawa


www.tkrobb.com
021 265 9446

By TK Robb

The run section of a triathlon race is probably considered the hardest part of the race, mainly because it's after you have already pushed yourself in the swim and then again on the bike, but also because the sudden transition from cycling to running takes a while for the different muscle groups to adapt and re-distribute blood flow to the muscles that need it most.